Mail-box.



PATENTED DEC. 1, 1903.

W. A. WHEELER.

MAIL BOX.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 5, 1903.

NO MODEL.

" William A. Wheeler,

ive. 745,749.

UNTTEE STATES Patented. December 1, 1903.

WILLIAM A. WHEELER, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA.

MAIL-BOX.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 745,749, dated December 1, 1903.

Application filed August 5, 1908. Serial No. 168,270. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM A. WHEELER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Indianapolis, in the county of Marion and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mail-Boxes, of which the following is a specification.

The objects of myinvention are to provide a simple, inexpensive, and secure mail-box of the variety commonly used in rural-route service and to equip the same with a simple, inexpensive, and easilymanipulated target, whereby its condition may be signaled.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, which are made a part hereof, and on which similar reference characters indicate similar parts, Figure l is a side elevation of a mail-box embodying my said invention; Fig. 2, a front elevation of the same on a somewhat-enlarged scale; Fig. 3, a central sectional view thereof, the middle portion being broken away; Fig. 4, a top or plan view of the front end, illustrating two of the positions of the target by means of dotted lines; and Fig. 5, a fragmentary perspective view illustrating the construction of the target-support and immediately-connected portion of the target.

This box is of a very simple construction. Its top (which is semicylindrical) and sides are made of a single piece of sheet metal 21. Its bottom consists of another piece of sheet metal 22, having its edges flanged, and these flanges being riveted to the sides and stationary end by rivets 23, and its stationary end 24 is stamped from a third piece and is secured by merely having its edge 25 turned over a roll formed on the adjacent edge of the body 21, which roll is commonly formed over a wire 26, as best shown in Fig. 3.

The door 31 is of similar form as the stationary end 24, but is mounted on a hingerod 32 at the point where the door and bottom come together and at its upper end is provided with a fastener member 33, which is adapted to engage with the combined fastener member and target-support 34, secured to the top of the box, as shown, and which is adapted to pass through the member 33, which has a hole, as best shown in Fig. 4, into which a lock may be inserted. The edge of this door instead of being turned down over the roll on the adjacent end of the body of the box extends straight back and forms a housing over said roll when the door is closed. These rolls at the ends of the box extending (as they do) outwardly from the box-surface effectually prevent rain from entering at these points without soldering, thus saving that expense. Said rolls at the same time stiffen and strengthen the box and at the front end sustain the fastener member and targetsupport 34 with sufficient rigidity for the pur nose.

The combined fastening member and target-support 34 is formed from a small flat bar of metal and is offset, as best shown in Fig. 3, so that one portion of it stands at a higher level than another. This enables it to hold the target in its various positions, as will be presently described.

The target is composed of a suitable disk 41 and a rod 42, on which it is mounted, the connection being by means of a thin sheetmetal part or extension-43, a portion of which simply surrounds the rod and connects it to the target-disk, while other portions are split apart and form strut-like points 44,which support the target in upright position when adjusted over the higher part of the fastener member and target-support 34. In manipulating the target when it is desired to have it in signaling position it is first swung around its rod until it stands upright and is then slipped forward toward the inner end of the rod 42 until the strut-like points 44 will bear upon the higher surface of the part 34, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3. The target may be directly behind the lock and in line with the box-body, as shown in Fig. 3, or it may be at right angles therewith, as shown in Fig. 2, and in the latter case may extend toward either side of the box. It is capable of being held in any of these positions by simply being swung around and pushed in, as shown. In order to drop the target, it is simply pulled back along the rod until the strut-like points 44 are above the lower surface of the support 34, Where they have plenty of room to swing under the rod and permit the target to fall. The rod 42 passes through a suitable perforation in the part 34 at one end and its} other end is either hooked or has a suitable enlargement which prevents the target from slipping 01f.

Having thus fully described my said invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination, in a letter-box, of a top and sides composed of a single piece of sheet metal and having a roll at each of its ends, a bottom composed of a second piece of sheet metal having flanges around its edges and riveted within the bottom edges of the sides, a stationary end composed of another portion of sheet metal the edge of which is turned over the roll on the adjacent edge of the top and sides, a hinged door forming the other end and provided with flanges which house over the roll on the'adjacent edge of the top and-sides when the door is closed, suitable fastening devices, and a suitable target.

2. The combination, in a letter-box, with the body, and the door, of suitable fastening devices for locking the door closed against the body, one of said fastening-device parts being also the base on which the target is mounted, substantially as shown and described.

3. The combination, in a letter-box, of a body, a door, fastening devices for holding the door shut, one of which serves also as a target-support, the same being offset whereby one portion is arranged at a higher level than another, and a hinged target mounted thereon and provided with strut-like points which engage with the higher surface of said part to hold the target up, said strut-like points being free to swing and permit the new target to fall when withdrawn to a point over the lower portion thereof.

4. The combination, with a letter-box, of a target-support composed of a structure having a higher and a lower level, a rod for immediately carrying the target secured to the portion in which is the higher level, and a target mounted on said rod and having strutlike points adapted to rest on said higher level and thus support the target in upright position when said target is pushed over the same but which permits said target to fall when positioned over the lower level thereof.

5. The combination, in a letter-box, of a top and sides composed of a single piece of sheet metal and having a roll at each of its ends, a bottom composed of a second piece of sheet metal having flanges around its edges and riveted within the bottom edges of the sides, a stationary end composed of another portion of sheet metal the edge of which is turned over the roll on the adjacent edge of the top and sides, a hinged door forming the other end and provided with flanges which house over the roll on the adjacent edge of the top and sides when the door is closed, and a suitable fastening device.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal, at Indianapolis, Indiana, this 31st day of July, A. D. 1903.

WILLIAM A. WHEELER. [L. 5.]

Witnesses:

ARTHUR M. HOOD, JAMES A. WALSH. 

